Battle Royale
by Pendergast
Summary: Edward is told that in order to keep his military position, he must enter a competition against several other state alchemists and emerge the victor


Fullmetal Alchemist

The scenery changed rapidly as the train pushed forward. A young man with long, blonde hair, braided back into a ponytail, had rested his face on his right hand, gazing out at the blurred images of trees and mountainsides. He wore white gloves, and a long red overcoat. A silver pocket watch chain glistened on the side of his black pants. He wasn't very tall either, but you would never hear him admit it.

In the seat across from him, lay a huge set of armor, with its hands in its lap. A casual passer-by would just think that this was the young man's father, or, at best, his older brother. In fact, the person in the armor, the one sitting across from the blonde haired boy in his long red coat, this was that boys little brother. In fact, if you lifted off the head of the armor, you would see nothing. Nothing at all. There was no person occupying the suit of armor, yet it moved, even spoke. The two brothers had revealed their story only to a select few, for if people ever found out what the younger one was, the military would most likely, no, certainly, take him away and use him as some sort of weapon. A suit of armor that can move and think like a person? You can't kill it. There isn't flesh to wound. Just metal.

This was the older brother's deepest fear. To be separated from his brother. The only family he had left. Well…the only family he cared about at least.

The suit of armor? Alphonse Elric.

His older brother? Edward Elric, State Alchemist, dog of the very military that would take away his brother.

Early in his life, Edward had realized he had the gift, the talent, of an alchemist, one who can seemingly make something from nothing. Of course, there was so much more than that. You had to make a transmutation circle for one. The thing you were making had to be similar in molecular construct to the thing you were making it of. Which means, unfortunately, even a talented alchemist cannot turn water into gold.

Their mother…he had worked so hard for her praise. She was everything to both of them.

She had died when Ed was only 8. Alphonse was 7. Even then, both were considered talented alchemists. They called Edward "genius" and "prodigy", but none of that mattered. He couldn't do anything to save his mother…but that day, the day he and Al stood, looking at their mother's grave, flowers in hand, he decided that it didn't matter. He was going to do something to bring her back.

To have, one must give something of equal value. This is alchemy's first rule. The rule of Equivalent Exchange. Ed and Al had gathered all the chemical compounds to make a human. Calcium, trace amounts of copper, and many more elements. All of them there. All of the ingredients to make a human body, gathered in a small pile in the middle of the study. The problem lay in transmuting her soul. What is equal to a soul?

Edward had thought he solved that. He cut his finger, and let the blood drip slowly into the pile of "human mix" they had put together. "Our blood for hers. That's fair, right?"

Of course they knew that human alchemy was forbidden.

They didn't care.

They knew it came at a price.

They would pay any price, any price at all to bring back their beloved mother.

"Besides," said Ed, boasting, "we can't go wrong. We've studied for years, there's no way anything will happen."

They were wrong.

As soon as they activated the transmutation circle that surrounded their soon-to-be mother, Ed had said "See? It's working! It's…" He turned to his brother. A bright light had surrounded him, and it seemed to be eating his body, his very soul. Edward's eyes widened.

A searing, burning sensation ripped its way up his right arm. He looked down, only to see that it too, was being destroyed. Being paid to bring back his mother. He looked back at Al…he had to do something. He couldn't lose his brother. No way. He glanced around the room, looking desperately for something that could help, anything at all. His arm…it was gone. Blood was splattering from the stump of where it once was. Time was running out. He was still frantically looking around when his eyes landed on a suit of armor. The suit of armor…quickly…he put together a transmutation circle…a small one, made of his own blood. But what to give in return for attaching a soul to an inanimate object?

…

Edward looked down at his left leg. He moved it. Or rather, he moved the mechanical artificial limb, or, automail. He glanced up at his little brother. Was it worth it? Was giving up his leg worth having his brother around, even as a bodiless soul attached to a hunk of metal? He smiled… of course it was.

…

The door hissed open, and Edward stepped out, Alphonse close behind him. He glanced around, shouldering his bag. He looked back at his brother and sighed, "Man, I just hope they didn't send that Armstrong guy out here again. I mean, really, the guy is just plain embarrassing…what?" He looked at Al. Al looked behind Ed. "He's…he's right behind me, isn't he?" A head nod.

"So, Edward, I'm embarrassing to you? How could you say such things after I've looked after you boys like my own children! For shame young Elric!" Tears were streaming down the face of Major Alex Louis Armstrong, or, as known by the other state alchemists, the Strong Arm Alchemist. Edward noted how much the guy had attached himself to him, but was still severely weirded out by the fact that he had no such attachments to his shirt, which he constantly found ways to remove.

"Hey, Major Armstrong, you know it's not like that!" replied Alphonse, comforting the huge crying man that was before them. Ed just stood back and picked his nose.

Suddenly, Armstrong snapped up, at full attention, and saluted Edward. "Fullmetal sir, Colonel Mustang would like a word with you as soon as you have gotten settled in. I am to escort you to your rooms, and then straight back to Mustang. Understood?"

"Aw, come on Major, we just got in, can't Mustang wait a day or two?"

"I have my orders Fullmetal, and I will follow them."

"Fine. C'mon Al, let's get this over with…" He started walking the familiar path towards Headquarters, with Alphonse following close behind. "Fullmetal…"

"Yes Major…"

"Your brother may not come to your meeting with Colonel Mustang."

Up until today, Al had always been welcome to his meetings.

"But…but I always go to the meetings!"

"Al, don't worry. Remember, you _are_ just a civilian after all. There are some things that only dogs of the military like me can know sometimes."

" Brother…what if you have to go somewhere? Wouldn't that mean I couldn't go with you?"

Ed stopped walking, and turned to face his brother.

"Al, you know I'd find a way to sneak you with me. If worse comes to worse, I'd just transmute you into a suitcase, and no one would be the wiser." he reassured him, chuckling.

"I don't _want _to be a suitcase!"

…


End file.
